Boston designated hitter David Ortiz strikes out swinging and makes the third out of the first inning yesterday.

AP / Kathy Willens

TAMPA, Fla. — In the warm southern sun, The Rivalry has resumed.

The Red Sox arrived at Legends Field — the spring home of the Yankees — yesterday morning for a game that didn’t have the feel or atmosphere of a spring-training contest. Instead, it felt more like your typical, meaningful game in September with the attention that comes with it.

The ballpark was sold out for what was the only meeting this spring between the two teams. In fact, a record was set, with 11,036 fans in attendance.

It was the first time since 1992 that the Red Sox did not play at home on St. Patrick’s Day.

The Red Sox lost to their archrivals, 8-4, but the game still had some moments that mirrored a regular-season game.

The Yankees’ Derek Jeter was drilled in the elbow by reliever Julian Tavarez with one out in the bottom of the second inning. The Yankees’ Bobby Abreu then crushed the next offering from the Sox’ reliever and deposited it into the right-field bleacher seats for a 6-0 lead.

In the top of the third inning, Yankees starter Andy Pettitte came in high and tight on David Ortiz with the slugger taking exception and staring back at the mound. The crafty lefty said afterward he was trying to come inside on Ortiz, but it was not retaliatory.

“He’s a great hitter,” said Pettitte. “There’s no doubt I backed him off. He’s a great hitter and you just can’t lay it over the plate for him to hit. You’ve got to move the ball in and out and hopefully make a hitter feel uncomfortable in the batter’s box. He’s a great hitter and you’re going to have to pitch him inside to get him out.”

Throughout the years the rivalry has seen its share of incidents — both good and bad — and no doubt it can be considered one of the greatest of all-time. So much so that even here in Tampa, a meaningless contest in March proves significant.

Of course the players and managers from both teams downplayed it as just another spring-training game, but the feeling was much different.

Ortiz was booed when he entered the batter’s box in the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury’s name was pronounced Jacob during the announcements of the starting lineups.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona was grilled with questions from the New York media about former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who is now with the Dodgers. Francona was asked about the rivalry, new manager Joe Girardi and the fans expectations in Boston.

“I was under the understanding that we’re supposed to go 162-0 and I don’t think that has changed,” he joked. “We can’t allow this to be different. We have to get ready for our season, just like they are doing.”

Each team has dominated the other, especially since a devastating loss to the Yankees in Game Seven of ALCS in 2003 when Aaron Boone launched a walk-off homer off Tim Wakefield in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Boston, of course, was one loss away from elimination in the 2004 ALCS only to mount one of the greatest comebacks of all time, winning four straight, including two games at Yankee Stadium to earn a trip to the World Series where the Red Sox swept the Cardinals for their first championship in 86 years.

Since 2005, the Yankees have held the upper hand, posting a 31-25 mark over the Red Sox.

So with the 2008 matchup officially beginning yesterday, both teams naturally downplayed it.

“I don’t think I pay attention,” said Francona. “For me, the games are plenty because there are so many good players on both sides that I really don’t care what gets said before or after the game. The nine innings are good enough for me, because that’s what makes this so special to begin with.”

Even though the Red Sox played in Tampa, it felt more like Yankee Stadium. The parking attendants around Legends Field were rude and miserable.

In fact, one security guard even made a negative remark about Boston. It may be spring training, but it felt like a meaningful game in the middle of September.

After the Red Sox return from their globetrotting tour through three countries in 12 days, Boston will face the Yankees five times in seven days and those games will really mean something.

After yesterday’s game, Francona put it perfectly when he said that no messages were sent.

jmcdonal@projo.com